Escape the Rut: Tips for Thinking Outside the Box
As we get older, it’s easy to become set in our ways. When you’ve done something one way for so long, it becomes second nature. After doing something a certain way countless times, we can often develop an idea that our way is the “right” way.
An open mind often leads to more creative results and solutions. If we only entertain one way of thinking, how many solutions are we leaving on the table? Creativity requires loose, flexible, and unhindered thinking.
There is nothing wrong with establishing a certain way of doing things. The trouble comes when we perceive our way as the only way to do things. Curiosity is at the core of creativity. Curiosity requires humility. If we think our way is the only way of doing something, we shut down the idea of learning from other people. If we refuse to learn from other people and experiences, we run the risk of becoming stagnant in our growth.
Is there anything you think rigidly about? What's one thing you are absolutely certain about, and investigate why you are so sure. Is there nothing that would change your mind?
The point is, creativity involves constant evolution of ideas, and a no ceilings approach to learning. The right answer today might not make any sense a week or a year from now. Having a creative mindset will always adapt to change!
New Experiences Bring Life
Are you stuck in a routine? Many of us do the exact same thing every single day. A lot of our jobs can require it. Our brains move through variations of the same thought patterns and experiences daily to accomplish our work. What is this doing to our creativity?
How often are you having new experiences? Changing your scenery can do wonders for the creative mind. A new perspective trickles over into other areas of our life, and allows for new thought patterns about familiar topics. You don’t have to travel far or go on an expensive vacation. The point is the expose the brain to something new. This could even mean simply taking a new route on your walk.
Opening your mind to new ideas is an easy way to create new experiences in your life. If traveling is not an option for you at the moment, take your mind on a journey. Listen to podcasts, read books on topics that interest you and expand your way of thinking.
Creativity is a mindset.
A mindset that requires openness and exploration. It’s a way of looking at the world. How can we cultivate this mindset? By seeking out new and unusual experiences and information.
Learn Something New
Challenge yourself to learn one new thing every day. If your brain is used to taking in new information and digesting it with an open mind, you will subconsciously begin to do that with everything you encounter. Intentionally placing these practices into your daily life can increase your ability to think bigger moving forward.
Make an effort to talk with a stranger. Read a book outside your typical genre preference. There are thousands of ways to develop a practice around learning. The practice in itself will train your brain to think differently and consider multiple perspectives, which is huge for creativity.
Find The Beauty In Things
If you are in a creative rut, seeking novelty or beauty can help snap you out of it. Make a point to watch the sunset or sunrise. Spend time in nature, expose your brain to beauty and seek it out. When you actively look for it, your mind makes note of this, and begins to seek out the beauty in all the situations you encounter.
Create! This involves playing. Write something, draw something, play an instrument, sing a song. Create some form of artistic expression. The action in itself is where the growth lies. Creativity is a muscle and must be developed and kept in shape. The more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. Whatever you create doesn’t need to serve a specific purpose or have some professional value. The point is the action of creation in itself, and the mindset it creates.
Live Today so that you You Can Thrive Tomorrow!
